Grown from the prairies of the south, the beautiful state of Oklahoma has always had its roots intertwined with many artistic origins. From the natural beauty of the environment to the rich history that still influences life today, Oklahoma has always had art ingrained into it. The diverse communities of Oklahoma promote all kinds of artwork and craftsmanship, but there is nowhere else in the state that offers quite as much art as the Capitol does. 

Currently, the Capitol is home to more than 100 pieces of art. It features donations from across the state, all of them managed by the Capitol Preservation Commission. This commission oversees the maintenance of the Capitol, which extends to the art on display. Originally in charge of the Capitol Restoration Project, the commission’s first goal was to renovate and replace pieces of the building and art that had worn over the years. Since the Restoration Project, the commission’s main focus has been re-erecting the Capitol’s artwork. Once fully restored, the Oklahoma State Capitol Building will be considered the largest art museum that the state has to offer.

The art in the Oklahoma State Capitol Building is generous, but have you ever considered the origins of some of the more famous pieces? Notable ones include Pro Patria by Thomas Gilbert White, Tribute To Range Riders by Constance Whitney Warren, As Long as the Waters Flow by Allan Houser and many more.

Pro Patria by Thomas Gilbert White

Little decoration adorned the Capitol when it was initially built. There wasn’t too much diversity in the interior as visitors wandered from room to room. Frank Phillips, an oilman from Bartlesville, commissioned three murals by Thomas Gilbert White and dedicated them to the Oklahoman soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

Pro Patria is the center mural in a series of three murals. It represents the grief of World War I and the mourning of those lost. This specific mural displays a soldier leaving his family and a winged representation of the state hovering close behind him, a formation of soldiers marching in the background.

Tribute to Range Riders by Constance Whitney Warren

This sculpture can be seen in the front lawn of the Oklahoma State Capitol. It was donated by Will Rogers in 1930, which was heavily opposed by the governor at the time, William H. Murray. It was rumored Murray didn’t want the statue because he despised Rogers’ support of Democratic presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt. Murray ordered a tarp to cover the statue. It soon went missing and he offered a $500 reward for the arrest of the culprits. The tarp was replaced but went missing again soon after. It took nearly three decades before the statue was officially dedicated by Governor Raymond Gary.

Tribute to Range Riders is a bronze statue that depicts a bucking bronco with its rider holding on tight. It represents the history of Oklahoma from the point of view of a man who has traveled by horseback across the land, taking in the many sights and events of Oklahoma. 

As Long as the Waters Flow  by Allan Houser

This is another sculpture in front of the Capitol. It serves as a tribute to the Native Americans of Oklahoma. The name is in reference to President Andrew Jackson stating to the Native American citizens that their land would remain their land “as long as grass grows and the rivers run.”

The sculpture depicts a Native American woman who stands tall in front of the Capitol holding a fan made from eagle feathers. She stands 15 feet tall and is made of bronze—her metal dress flowing in the breeze.

Digging Up the Grave by James Bertus

Although it isn’t currently on the Capitol walls, Digging Up the Grave by James Bertus summarizes the experience of being a citizen in Oklahoma. It covers sadness and remorse, hence the name. This piece connects Oklahomans in the form of grief, explaining the human experience in general.

Digging Up the Grave portrays a living figure embracing a skeletal and decomposed figure. They together lay in a green marsh, the skeletal figure sticking halfway out of their grave to hold the other figure with its bony arms. 

The Guardian is the statue that stands atop the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol building. Created by Senator Enoch Kelly Haney, its purpose is to stand over the Oklahoman people and remind them of how strong and diverse our state is. The Guardian stands as a testament to Oklahoma’s strength and perseverance in the face of adversity.

The statue, comprised of the figure and his spear, stands a full 22 feet tall. The Guardian proudly watches over his people beyond the horizon and above the rotunda with a spear striking through his pant leg to signify that he will continue to stay in Oklahoma. Despite the current trend of people migrating to other states, the Guardian stays to see the state blossom and grow. 

Senator Haney based the design of the Guardian after several of his family members, neighbors and friends, basing their traits and attributes into both the soul and of the physical body of the statue. He applied them into the facial features, the stance, the determination and the outpour of power and resolve of the Guardian. The statue is of a Seminole man, which also serves as a reminder that Oklahoma is rich in Native history. Senator Haney, a member and former Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, wanted to create this statue to remind Oklahomans how not even battles could tear apart the bond that the state’s citizens have forged. It took him 10 months to design and cast the statue, but the influence of the statue will stay with us forever.

The Capitol

The Oklahoma Capitol State Building is home to many pieces of art, but the building is also a piece of art itself. The building employs the Greco-Roman style of neo-classical architecture and has six elegant stories that spread across a now-retired oil field.  

The Capitol didn’t originate in Oklahoma City, though. It was originally chosen to be in Guthrie, but it was decided that Guthrie was too far out and should be closer to where more people and federal buildings were. There were many votes among the Oklahoma citizens to determine where the Capitol should be, but it was eventually determined that the Capitol should be in OKC. “Oklahoma’s a sovereign state, Oklahoma can choose where it wants the Capitol to be.” says Trait Thompson, Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director, recounting the process of the decision.

After it had been decided that the Capitol should be in OKC, the next step was to hire the architect. Solomon Layton of the Layton and Smith architectural firm was chosen. While Layton’s original plans for the Capitol included a dome, it was cut short due to lack of funds. There was only 1.5 million dollars provided for the project, which is about half as much as other states were spending to construct their Capitol buildings. 

It’s also a common misconception that the money wasn’t there due to World War I on the horizon, or that the dome couldn’t be built because there was a lack of materials, but the budget was pre-planned and everyone involved knew that a rotunda wasn’t doable. “In construction, you call that ‘value engineering’.” Thompson says. “Value engineering is basically ‘I have this much money and I want to get as much as I can for it’.” It was settled that the dome wasn’t going to be added on during original construction, but supports for a future dome would be added into the building. This was done so future generations of Oklahoma citizens could eventually add a dome.

Ultimately, the dome we know today was added to the Capitol. It was constructed in 2002 and topped with a statue called The Guardian. The Capitol Restoration Project followed the building of the rotunda. The goal of this project was to repair the many damages that the building had suffered in the past 100 years. It took about 59 million dollars to complete the full repair and restoration project, which wrapped in 2022. The project's efforts are apparent today. As you might look at the intricate wall decoration, or the ornate panels on the ceilings, or the light fixtures hanging on the wall, you can see the work put into their details. 

The Capitol is meant to be appreciated, so please, value it, in both its aesthetics and its historical mark.